Preserve One to Damage Two
by Juri.DP
Summary: They were shinobi, but they were children. They were to protect, but at what cost? The Academy didn't teach them how to deal with this.
1. Chapter 1

**I...have a problem with starting new fics when I shouldn't...**

**_WARNING: This deals with their twelve year old selves and there ARE evidences of sexual assault/abuse._**

**_I can't really say 'Enjoy' after that..._**

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_Naruto stirred, groaning as he began to awaken. His eyes parted – with unusual forced effort – and he looked up. Overhead, he saw the end of a flock of birds flying by through the canopy of trees._

_"Outside..." he croaked, willing himself to blink. He pulled himself to a sit, momentarily overcome with a headrush. Looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone. His team, along with Team 8, were scattered around him, lying on the ground._

_None were moving._

_His mind didn't piece together anything as he scanned the bodies before him. He soon noticed something was wrong. It was not the fact that they should not have all been passed out on the forest floor. It was not the fact that they had been on a mission prior to his awakening. It was not even the fact that every single person – even Akamaru – was incapacitated. What struck Naruto as odd was-_

_"Sasuke?" He started to sober up, scanning again with a sense of urgency. "Sasuke?"_

_He wasn't here._

_Naruto jumped to his feet, ignoring the blurred vision that followed, whipping his head in all directions to locate his missing teammate. His breathing became ragged, his mind spinning._

_"Wake up!" he yelled. "Kakashi-sensei! Sakura! Everyone, wake up!"_

_He continued to yell, soon resorting to shaking the people close to him, until, one by one, everyone began to emerge from their curious slumber._

_Sakura groaned, flinging a flimsy hand over her face. "What is it, Naruto?"_

_"Where's Hinata?" Kiba looked around, rubbing his eyes._

_._

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_Bodies tore through the forest, urgently racing to wherever it took to get to where **they** were. They chased after the pack of dogs Kakashi had summoned._

_"I smell blood!" Pakkun yelled over the frantic cries of the other dogs. Naruto and Kiba picked up speed, both blinded by panic._

_"Hinata!"_

_"Sasuke!"_

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_"Oh my god." Sakura fell to her knees, holding on to the side of her head as tears fell freely from her wide, green eyes. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."_

_"What the hell happened?" Kurenai said aloud, kneeling next to her recovered student. "Kakashi, how...? How did we let this happen?"_

_Kakashi didn't know how to respond. He stood next to his own student, staring in a state that he couldn't determine as either numbness or extreme horror. "I... I don't..."_

_Naruto and Kiba were hunched over their respective, unconscious teammates, unable to stop their pleas and demands for answers._

_Both were overwrought with despair._

_Both had jackets draped over the bloodied, naked bodies._

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Hinata gasped, flinging herself upwards. She was hyperventilating, her eyes watering. Her eyes shot around the room, trying to get a hold of her surroundings. Nothing she looked at was coming into focus, but she remembered everything. _Everything._

"N-n-no!" she screeched, sobs soon taking over. "No!"

"-kay! It's okay! Hinata, it's okay!"

She became aware that someone was pushing down on her shoulders, trying to keep her from flinging herself or flailing about. She became more panicked, more desperate, but soon two more sets of hands were trying to subdue her. Hinata's mind went rampant, refusing to go through it all again. She grabbed on to someone, trying to understand what was going on, when her eyes started to register a familiar face.

She gasped for air, wet eyelids blinking at her teammate's face. "K-Ki...?" She blinked rapidly, taking note of her remaining team. It was Kiba who had been pushing on her shoulders. Their sensei and Shino turned out to be the other pairs of hands.

It was just her team.

But... How...?

"It's okay now," Kurenai soothed, taking a seat next to her. "We're back in the village."

"We... We are...?" This still didn't calm her – the shaking wouldn't stop. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. She wore a white, sterile gown, and for a brief second she had the bliss of not knowing why she was not in her normal clothes. Her eyes began to water again, but they stopped when she saw Team 7 gathered around a bed to her right. Sakura was crying, her face buried in her hands while Naruto stood gravely in a corner of the room, staring with wide eyes that saw nothing. Kakashi stood to the side of the bed, looking down at it. He glanced her way.

"Welcome back," he greeted, smiling wearily beneath his mask. "We've-"

He turned, revealing the battered boy lying there.

Hinata's eyes widened.

**_"Konoha genin, huh?"_**

She didn't remember any more of that hospital day, but she was told her screams echoed throughout the building.

* * *

"Say 'Ahh', Sasuke-kun."

"C'mon, Sakura, he can feed himself."

"Shut it, Naruto," she snapped. "You should be helping out, too."

Naruto looked away, pouting. "Well, I'm not gonna feed 'im."

Sakura ignored him, returning her attention to the vacant eyed Uchiha. "Come on, Sasuke-kun." She presented the chopsticks with the small portion of rice between them. "'Ahh'. Say-"

**_"Ahhhh! Stop! Please, stop!"_**

**_"For a mousy looking girl, she sure can scream."_**

Sasuke's heart picked up. He blinked slowly, turning his head to the side. Sakura froze, staring back at him in anticipation.

"Sasuke? Is everything alright?"

"I'm...sorry..."

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other – too confused to ask for an explanation and too stunned to take notice of the boy's pained expression.

* * *

Kiba and Shino walked with Hinata; Hinata walked with Akamaru huddled to her chest, her eyes never leaving the ground. After being moved to the Hyuuga compound, she was finally able to leave.

Kiba and Shino occasionally exchanged glances.

They wanted to know what went wrong that day – why the two of them were taken – why the two of them were _targeted_ – why they refused to talk about it. Sasuke wouldn't crack, and Hinata went into a frantic mess whenever they tried to coax an answer out of her. It would soon be a subject that would be dropped all together – a secret between Teams 7 and 8 – and a torturous memory for Sasuke and Hinata.

The four were turning into the entrance to the Training Grounds when they encountered Team 7 walking their way, exiting. Hinata looked up, freezing; Sasuke looked at her.

"No..." Her voice was weak. She took a step back, her breathing becoming erratic. Everyone saw the change, but no one knew what caused it.

No one except the two who knew what happened that day.

Hinata hastily handed Akamaru to Kiba, stumbling off the path, and fell to her hands and knees. She began to vomit due to sheer fear.

* * *

"Listen to me!"

"Leave me alone!"

"I said listen!" Sasuke slammed Hinata against a tree. He had run into her by chance, and she had tried to get away from him.

But not this time.

He had things to say, and he wasn't going to let her screw anything up.

"I don't want to be near you," Hinata wheezed, unable to look at him. "I don't... I don't want anything to do with you."

"Are you going to try and blame _me_ now?" he hissed. "We did what we had to to stay _alive_, and you want to turn it all on _me_?"

"It _was_ all you!" she screeched, tears seeping through shut eyes. "You're strong, aren't you?! You could have beaten them! Your clan was powerful-"

"And what about you, huh?!" he fired back. "I didn't see you putting that Hyuuga blood to any use, so explain that!"

"Get away!" Her hand shot forward, sending a surge of chakra through his abdomen.

Sasuke stumbled back, clutching the throbbing area. She hadn't used much on him – she was too disoriented to do that much – but it shocked him that she had tried. Out of all the people she could lash out at, she was lashing out at _him?_

Hinata slid down the trunk of the tree, covering her face as pained hiccups quivered from her. "You're...st-strong... I-I've heard abo-out you... You could've-"

"No, I couldn't," Sasuke muttered loud enough for her to hear. He fell back into a sit and let his head hang, squeezing his arm tighter around him. "Don't give me so much credit..."

* * *

She wasn't going to tell.

He wasn't going to tell.

So, Sasuke let it go.

He was done trying to talk to Hinata because, every time he tried, it only ended in yelling, tears, and regret that never really went away. In retrospect, she was being illogical. As a ninja, she should expect situations that were beyond their levels of training and realize he only did what was right for both of them.

He's sure he picked the right choice...

There was no way he could take on five grown men on his own, right? It was beyond his current skill level...wasn't it? Why else would he have...put them through all that? He didn't give a damn about Hinata's life – he didn't even know her – so he did what was best for him...

But...was living best for her?

* * *

Stop thinking about it.

She had to stop thinking about it...but there was no way she could do that. There was no way she would choose to have that day constantly rammed around her head, so why couldn't she forget? Why was it the first thing she thought about – the last thing she remembers – the only thing that plagued her dreams? Why-

Hinata lurched forward, her face in the toilet bowl, and began to vomit again. She sobbed between each heave, wanting nothing more than to _not think_.

In the bathroom entrance, unbeknownst to the heiress, Neji stood there, scrutinizing her. Hinata had been this way ever since she returned from her mission, and he had been annoyed by it all. He didn't know any details, but he knew her mission had ended badly.

It was pathetic of her.

So she faced the real struggles of their lifestyle. Danger came with being ninja – she needed to realize that. But...something wasn't right. She was crying too much, which sometimes ended with her vomiting. Yes, at first, he was aggravated with the weak, pampered heiress grieving over a little bodily damage, but this... There was something wrong with all of this. Even for her, this wasn't normal.

He watched for a moment longer before turning out the door. "I'm getting the medical ninja."

Hinata whipped around, startled by the voice, staring into the empty doorway. "Don't..." She became panicked when his footsteps got farther away. "Neji, don't!"

* * *

"Sir? Are you..." She looked down, noticing the man had clenched his fists so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Hiashi exhaled until no more air would come out. "Are you sure?"

The medic nin nodded, not wanting to verbally confirm it.

"I'm sorry..." Hinata whispered, sobbing from the clinical bed. "Father-"

"Who?" he demanded.

Hinata shook her head, crying harder. "I don't want to do thi-"

"Hinata," he threatened. "Give me a name."

*o0o0o0o*

"Alright," Kakashi sighed as he and his students sat around Ichiraku. "Today's mission is another D-rank assignment, so-"

"Give me a break!" Naruto complained. "How come ever since we came back from that mission with Kiba's team we've done nothing but the baby stuff?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "You all just...could use some more training..."

Naruto laughed, rolling his eyes. "Meaning _Sasuke_ has to learn not to get kidnapped."

The Uchiha shot him a heated glare. Naruto was the only one who would bring up the subject so freely, and, for once, he hated how unbiased he was.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "That's not the point, Naruto."

"Yeah? Then what-"

The flaps of the ramen stand were pushed aside. Two men stood in the entrance; they appeared to be Hyuugas. Their white eyes scanned the faces before landing on Sasuke.

"Come with us."

Sasuke frowned, glaring. "Come again?"

"Lord Hiashi wishes to see you."

*o0o0o0o*

Hiashi paced around the room, his face grim but his mood furious. Hinata continued to cry; she was scared. She didn't want to go through this.

"Father-"

"Quiet," he warned. "I'll deal with you later."

The doors opened, and Sasuke was ushered inside. The two servants had a hold of his arms and brought him straight to Hiashi before roughly releasing him.

Sasuke didn't want to be here. He should have known Hinata wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. What kind of kunoichi was she?

"I didn't say anything," she said, trembling into her hands. "I didn't say a-anythi-"

"I SAID TO BE QUIET!" Hiashi bellowed. Hinata cried harder but tried her hardest to keep her voice down. Hiashi set his enraged glare on Sasuke. "You had better start explaining."

Sasuke stared at him, convinced this man had gone mad. If Hinata told him everything, then what was there to explain? Shouldn't he be glad that his daughter was alive?

Sasuke's silence didn't sit well with the Hyuuga man because he snapped.

He grabbed the Uchiha by the hair, forcing him to look around the room.

"Piece it together, Uchiha genius! Where are we?! What is this room?!" He dragged Sasuke to Hinata. "How can _you_ possibly be linked to _her?_"

Sasuke winced, his head beginning to throb, but he made himself come to a conclusion. He stared at Hinata, who was in the bed...

A bed...located in...

Sasuke's eyes widened, his heart wild with fear. "You can't be..."

Hinata cried harder, hoping to collapse into herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, I had this part done already.**

**Um... Enjoy...?**

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This was more than a disgrace to his household. A disgrace would have been better than _this_. They may have been able to recover if Hinata had merely _disgraced_ the Hyuuga name, but this was far larger and far more scandalous than a simple _**disgrace**_.

There were no words to describe the shame and humiliation his daughter has bestowed upon this family.

His _twelve_ year old daughter.

His _pregnant_ twelve year old daughter.

"Hiashi-sama."

The Hyuuga head slowly emerged from his thoughts and settled his deadly white eyes on the the long haired brunette in front of him. His eyes slid to his right, where his daughter continued to whimper and cower in the sterile bed. He was fiercely tempted to activate his blood limit to bait his anger further, but he couldn't lose his temper.

He'd deal with the Uchiha boy soon enough.

"Hiashi-sama," the medical nin said again, "she is four weeks along, but I fear there is...more."

"Of course." He huffed; his temperament refused to improve. "I did not expect _her_ to make this any less humiliating."

The woman coughed, uncomfortable. "Yes, well, I feel that it is best we have the Uchiha's guardian present before I disclose all the information."

"He is an orphan. I am not aware nor have I ever took it upon myself to indulge in the personal life of a defective Uchiha."

"Sir... Given the boy's lineage and circumstances, I believe he is the Hokage's responsibility. With that being said, it is imperative that he is informed immediately."

"You expect me to take this atrocity to the Hokage himself?"

"Literally speaking, we should have him come here."

* * *

Pregnant...

Hinata was pregnant...

_He_ got Hinata...pregnant?

Hinata was going to have his...

That was impossible. Puberty for him only started last year...but there was no way his body could be producing semen potent enough to get a girl pregnant. Hinata herself could not have been long into puberty either, so there was just no way... He wasn't...

Sasuke looked up. The Hyuuga clinical room was empty except for Hinata, who was shuddering and hunched over in the bed.

There was no way this was happening. That day was meant to save their lives not ruin it. He couldn't be a...a _father_. There was still much to be done before he could even think about restoring his clan, and Hinata Hyuuga had never been nor was she currently in his plans to make that happen. He didn't _want_ Hinata to be the one to do this. If he was to be a father, he didn't _want_ her to be the one bearing his child.

His child...

Him, a father...

Hinata, the-

The door to the room opened and in came a medical nin, Hiashi Hyuuga, and the Third Hokage. Adults rarely intimidated Sasuke these days, but the sight of both the Hyuuga and the old man only solidified the trouble he was in – trouble that had to be a massive mistake. The Hokage looked at Sasuke, who averted his eyes to the floor.

"How did this happen?" the Sarutobi asked, standing at the boy's side. His tone didn't hold any of the understanding lilts the Uchiha had grown accustomed to.

Hiashi stood at the foot of his daughter's bed, crossing his arms. "We both know _how_ this happened. In fact," he pointedly looked at the children, both of whom were rigid and refused to look up at anyone, "we _all_ know how."

The older man ignored his spite. "Perhaps that was the wrong question. What, exactly, is it that I need to hear?"

"Well, sir," the medical nin addressed, lifting a clipboard from a table, "after we examined Miss. Hyuuga, we found signs of..." She paused, deciding to use terminology the two accused could easily understand, "forced entry."

Sasuke's heart dropped.

Hinata fought down sobs.

"Forced?" The older man couldn't hide his shock. "This is for certain? Is it not possible that, considering her age, the act itself could have produced the same signs?"

She looked at the girl. She couldn't imagine what she must have gone through – how scared she must have been – and, even with two high-ranking men present, she couldn't find it in herself to indulge in the particulars. Not at her expense. "If you would like, I can walk you through our examination results, but, I assure you, this was not a case of consent."

"Leave the room, Kana," Hiashi's ominous voice demanded; though, with the way he had closed his eyes and was gripping the bedpost, it sounded more like a death threat.

The woman excused herself and quickly exited the room.

The room was tense, the air bursting with static and heat. Hinata tried to put herself in another place – a place where her late mother would comfort her and this all turned out to be the terrible effects of a genjutsu.

Sasuke tried to assess all the information. With the way things were going, he was going to be accused of rape. But...it wasn't rape... He saved their _lives_, so he wasn't a rapist! If Hinata would just tell-

"Did you hear that?" Hiashi said, a slight laugh escaping him. "Did you hear _that, _Hokage-_sama_? That boy..." His eyes fell on Sasuke. He gripped the post tighter, a metal groaning filling the room. "That _boy_-"

"It happened on a mission a month ago," Sasuke said, his head still lowered. "We were ambushed. Three men took Hinata, and I went after her." He looked up, a dark glare directed at the heiress. "I saved our lives."

"You _raped_ my daughter."

"I _saved_ our lives," Sasuke insisted, his voice even. "Tell them, Hinata."

Hinata shook, refusing to speak. Is that how he saw it? There had been other options. He didn't _have_ to go through with that one. They could have fought. _He _could have fought.

"Hinata."

She couldn't forgive him. He claims to have saved their lives, but she couldn't forgive him. She didn't have much going for her, but that was the one thing she treasured most. And he... They made him...

"_Hinata_."

"I want to see Kurenai-sensei," Hinata pleaded, looking up. "I want to see sensei."

"You are in no position to make demands," Hiashi warned. "No one will know about this."

Sasuke turned to the Hokage, his desperation slowly building. "Wasn't that in the report? Kakashi and the others saw our condition – they _had_ to."

The Sarutobi had to think. These children were not denying what had happened, but now there was the possibility that they were forced to do this? The reports Kakashi and Kurenai gave said they were ambushed and the two in question were taken. They had had battered appearances, but was there more?

He sighed, wiping his worn face. "I'm calling an immediate meeting with Teams 7 and 8."

"What do you intend to do?" Hiashi demanded. "You can't possibly-"

"With all due respect, your daughter has just been given the most horrendous news a girl her age can hear. If her senseis failed to give a proper report, then she deserves to hear why."

"I hope you do not intend to relay her current situation."

"The children of both teams will be interrogated separately, but Kakashi and Kurenai must know."

* * *

"I bet this is all your fault somehow," Sakura accused, arms crossed.

Naruto gaped at her. "_Me_? I haven't even done anything."

"Ha! With all those pranks you played in the past, I bet they're finding new ones no one ever saw before." She sighed, shaking her head. "You claim you want to become the best of the best, but you did things that are just going to hurt _all_ your chances. Now you're dragging your own teammates into this."

"Hey, for all we know, this is Sasuke's doing! He talks about revenge so much that they might strip _him _of all _his_ shinobi responsibilities."

"Don't talk about Sasuke that way! Unlike you, he knows how not to drag others down."

"Tck. Yeah right. You know, I bet this is all coming back to what happened on that mission. I mean, how great of a ninja can you be if you're just gonna get kid-"

Sakura rammed her fist down on his head. "I said don't talk about him that way!"

The two genin were escorted through the Hokage tower by a bodyguard. They were led to a room where, upon opening, Kiba and Shino were sitting inside.

"Ah, geez," Kiba groaned. "So it really must be about that."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, looking around the box of a room. There was nothing in here except two extra chairs that must be for her and Naruto. The walls were white with a red stripe going across the top and bottom, but she couldn't have felt more suffocated.

"Our teams are being questioned, apparently," Kiba huffed, crossing his arms. Akamaru poked his head out his jacket, whining.

"Ha!" Naruto exclaimed, taking a seat. "Told ya this was about what happened."

"Well, duh!" Kiba fired. "I'm just surprised it took us so long for anyone to actually _ask_ us what happened! Both Sasuke _and _Hinata got attacked? It must be because of their eyes."

"It doesn't explain the condition we found them in," Shino said, his voice low.

Kiba shifted, trying to ignore that dangerous observation. "Yeah, well, we'll find out soon enough, I guess. Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi are being questioned right now."

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded, only slightly interested. "So where _are_ Sasuke and Hinata, anyway?"

* * *

The copycat ninja and the genjutsu specialist were stunned. Both had taken to sitting down upon hearing the news, and it was just...too much to handle. Kakashi took to staring at Sasuke, who was standing beside the Third Hokage behind his desk. Kurenai took to staring at their leader, breathless.

"Where is she?" the woman asked.

"Her home. Being treated," the aged man answered. "But you can see her later. I want the both of you to explain to me why you failed to report that these children were not only badly beaten but _naked_ when you found them."

"Sir..." Kurenai began, shaken, "we... We wanted to save them the humiliation. If we had thought-"

"That was not your call to make. If that piece of information had been mentioned, we could have taken proper measures in evaluating the Hyuuga and dealt with this issue far sooner. Not only that, but we could have dispatched a warning to all nations and villages about these heinous men who made these children commit these acts."

Kurenai and Kakashi were at a loss for words. They fully realized the mistakes they had made, but these things... This was not something they expected to happen. This has never _happened_ before. At least not to their knowledge. It had never once crossed their minds that shinobi – shinobi who were _children –_ would fall victim to something like this.

And now their students were...

"She has asked for you, Yuuhi," the man said, leaning back in his chair. "You are to go there immediately so we can get her take on what happened." He paused, looking at her. "I suggest you get going."

The woman stood numbly, bowing, and left the room.

The Hokage turned his sights on Kakashi, who had not said a word. He sighed, looking at Sasuke, who was terribly solemn and withdrawn, staring at the floor.

"In your own words, Sasuke," the Sarutobi said, his gentle tone earning Sasuke's attention, "what happened?" He turned his attention. "Kakashi. You owe it to this boy to listen."

The white-haired blinked a few times, unaware that he had nodded.

This was too much.

Sasuke didn't know where to start. He had to clear up any suspicion that he did what he did willingly, but the more he thought about it, the more it confirmed what the result had been.

A child...

_His_ child...

Growing inside...Hinata...

He swallowed hard, confused, scared, dumbstruck, and began with, "Three men ambushed us. Then there were two more waiting..." He shook his head, recalling everything. "If I didn't do it, they were going to kill us."

* * *

Hinata rocked herself back and forth, her hands at her sides. Her eyes felt heavy, and her body was numb.

She wondered if that's why she didn't feel anything.

It's not like she ever thought about it before, but there was...something...inside of her. She thought she should feel _something_. Maybe...a knot or a pressure or a void. But she didn't..._feel_ like there was a baby in...

A baby...

Sasuke's baby...

She groaned, lying against the wall. The tears were coming, but she was so tired of crying. She didn't want to cry because of what happened... It was never supposed to be this way, though. It was never supposed to be _Sasuke_. But now she was pregnant. Sasuke was the father.

She could never redeem herself.

Hinata began to hyperventiliate, her mind reeling at the dead-end she was in.

The door burst open, and Kurenai rushed in. Hinata had no time to voice a single word because her sensei had come directly to her, embracing her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," the woman whispered, pained. "I am so - _so_ sorry."

Hinata's tears spilled over, her stomach throbbing, and held onto her sensei.

By the tone of Kurenai's voice, it was confirmed that this really couldn't be fixed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Why am I writing this...? Geez, fics with drama and junk is what I do best, but THIS... Geez. I know I'm upset about classes starting, but GEEZ! I can't say 'Enjoy' for this fic. No, no more.**

**Thanks for returning!**

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He wanted to sleep.

He wanted to have a dreamless slumber and wake up in his bed late at night. He didn't know if it would help – and he wasn't trying to make this all disappear – but he needed some stability. Things were happening one after the other and he just was not...ready. He needed time to assess each piece of evidence and make sense of it.

Again, he sighed, deciding now was a good time - an opportunistic time.

How could things have turned out wrong? He thought he was doing something _right. _When he found Hinata that day, he _did_ try to fight. He was able to take down three of the men before the other two jumped in; at which point, the other three pulled themselves together. He remembers...taunting. A lot of taunting followed by a severe beating. He didn't even know Hinata was suffering the same physical damage as him.

And then...she screamed.

She tried to fight, too, but she was terrified when they started ripping her clothes off. He doesn't remember what led up to _that_ despite some off-handed comments made, but she should have remained calm. She should have tried to come up with a solution.

But he saw what they were trying to do and he snapped.

It _bothered_ him that _shinobi men_ were capable of that, so he tried to fight again. But...

_**"How bad do you wanna live?"**_

He groaned. Scrapping his hand through his hair. What was he supposed to do? They only gave him two options, and, with the slashes and bruises they inflicted on them, neither he nor Hinata could fight. Was he just supposed to let them die? _He_ didn't want to die. He wasn't ready to die!

He wasn't ready for this either...

Sasuke closed his eyes, stumbling in and out of reality.

* * *

He thought it was excessive to have all these adults in the room.

_He_ had to be here because he was the Third Hokage, and he had to know Hinata's take on what happened. Kurenai was here because the heiress asked for her personally, and the woman did calm the child down for a time. However, Hiashi insisted on being present, but his very _presence_ was negatively impacting his daughter. A Hyuuga medical nin was here – Kana, if he remembers her name correctly – and he was not sure why. They were all in the clinical room, so maybe she was necessary.

Hinata had managed to tell everything leading up to the ambush and some parts of a fight, but the assault needing coaxing. She kept glancing at her father – looking for either comfort or approval to go on – but she soon became unresponsive.

"Hinata," Hiashi said, his voice as flat as his expression. "We're waiting."

"U-um... I-it... Two of the m-men tried t-to... Um, wh-when they st-started to...t-to-"

"Hinata," the Third said softly, sitting on the bed to obscure Hiashi from her vision, "did any of the men force themselves on you?"

The Hyuuga wrung her hands, trying to keep eye contact with the man. "N-n-no. They only... They only took my clothes off...then...U-Uchiha-san tried to...st-step in..."

"And then?"

Her mouth opened and closed, forced sounds coming out. She shook, eyes watering. "H-he couldn't do anything!" she yelled, trying to calm down. "They had – h-had cut us and st-stomped on us a-and hit us so much that...I-I don't even know how he was able to get up. Then... They brought him in front of me...and made him get to his knees..." She wiped her eyes, face red from embarrassment. "A-and asked us how bad we...we wanted to live."

The Third Hokage frowned, nodding to himself. "And that's when he gave the both of you the options?"

Hinata huffed repeatedly. "If Sasuke wouldn't have gotten up, this wouldn't have happened! They... They just wanted my eyes, but Sasuke being there... It made them angry! And he – he didn't have to go through with it! We could have just died, but Sasuke just-"

Kurenai wrapped her arms around the hysterical girl, gently shushing her and telling her to calm down. Hinata clung to the woman, her breathing hectic.

"Hokage-sama," the medical nin whispered at the man's side, "she may have a panic attack if this line of questioning continues."

The man wiped his forehead, nodding grimly. The girl was shaking, convulsing, and gasps were filling the room. So far, both Sasuke and Hinata's stories were matching; there may not be a need to make the girl recall all the details.

"Hinata," the man said cautiously, "do you know what village these men came from? Did you see their headbands, or did they use any special jutsus?"

Hinata's eyes became lidded, her head resting on Kurenai's chest. She was at her limit with the conscious world. "I don't... They didn't wear forehead protectors... They only... No jutsus were used." She closed her eyes, exhaling.

When she made no signs of saying anything else, the Third Hokage stood, thanking her for her time. As far as questioning went for the other members of the team, no one had gotten a glimpse of their attackers. That bit of information would have been the most helpful.

He motioned for Hiashi and the medic nin to follow him into the hall. When the door closed behind them, he wiped his face, turning towards the Hyuugas.

"These children are not to blame, Hiashi."

"That is still to be decided."

"What more do you need? Both children's stories match, and it is quite clear neither wanted to engage in such acts."

"Neither want to engage in the _results_. Do you honestly expect me to believe that _adult_ shinobi would kidnap one child, have another follow, beat them senseless, and then force two dōjutsu users with _exceptional_ kekkei genkai to have _sex_ but make no attempt to take either of their eyes? With their teams lying unconscious, you expect me to believe they _wouldn't_ have taken at least one of those children?"

"I would expect the father of one of _those_ children to be grateful that didn't happen. If you would like, I can have Inochi probe their minds to confirm what happened, but, as far as I can tell, neither your daughter nor Sasuke lied about what happened. I have seen these children grow since they joined the Academy, so I am well within my rights to warn you not to dismiss or disrespect their honor and integrity by implying they would engage and try to cover up frivolous behavior."

Hiashi held his tongue, ready to explode, and instead roughly huffed. "Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is _you_ are not stuck with the child who has a _problem_ growing inside her."

The Hyuuga stormed down the hall, the air popping with his anger and heated chakra. The Third watched the man. Hiashi Hyuuga was a man of fierce emotions held under a stone façade. It was hard to tell if his anger was truly out of concern for his clan or for his daughter.

He turned to the female, who had stood idly by. To his surprise, the woman had tears in her eyes.

"Pardon me, sir," she said hastily, wiping her tears away. "You must understand, I never prepared for a situation like this."

"It is alright," he assured. Truth be told, he wasn't either. "What are the plans for her?"

She sniffed, her brows scrunching. "Plans, sir?"

"Will she carry the child to term, or will the pregnancy be terminated?"

The woman's eyes widened. "I... Given all the chaos and confusion, that has not been a topic that has been discussed. I couldn't imagine making her see this pregnancy through, but... An abortion? I'm certainly not trained in that field, and I'm not sure any other member of the medical team has conducted many."

"We can admit her into the Konoha hospital."

"Lord Hiashi certainly wouldn't agree to that even if nurses and doctors came here. He is adamant about not letting anyone else know about this."

The Sarutobi shook his head. If that was the case, this left him with no other option.

"I will come back in the morning," he said. "I do not wish to cause too much stress for her or her unborn child, so...please make proper arrangements."

"For... For what, sir?"

He stared for at the floor, thinking this over one last time. It was his turn to do what was right for her.

* * *

When the Sarutobi returned to his office, the evening light cast long, dark shadows across the room. Sasuke was seated behind his desk, his head resting on top, his arms most likely dangling because he could not comfortably rest them on top. He walked over to the Uchiha, staring at him.

This was a rare moment, he mused - Sasuke Uchiha with no scowl or distasteful frown. He chuckled to himself, stroking his beard laboriously. His good humor slowly faded as the reality of the situation forced itself upon him.

With his birthday coming up, Sasuke would be a father at the age of thirteen.

A child with a child.

The man swallowed hard, a painful constricting in his throat, and blinked away the stinging of his eyes. He would give anything to erase this situation for them. If he ever had any suspicion something like this would happen, he would have went to great lengths to try to prevent it.

But what would that be?

He could educate and prepare his people, but what could be said about the citizens from other villages? How could he stop the utterly heinous, evil, and perverted intentions of _other_ people?

And shinobi, no less.

Shinobi may take the lives of others and/or harm them, but shinobi still had honor.

Upholding honor should be every shinobi's ninja way.

Pushing down his anguish, he shook the Uchiha gently. Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, his parted lips closing. He blinked once, his gaze blank, and finally noticed the man in the room. He looked at him, basking in something the Hokage couldn't determine, and sat back in the chair, stretching.

"Tired?" the man asked.

Sasuke shook his head, blinking around the room.

"Come," the man gestured, "I'll walk you home."

He got up without a word.

The man wrapped an arm around him and guided the child out of the tower and to his current place of living. They traveled in silence, allowing the warm evening air to calm them. Hiruzen mulled over this free time. He rarely had time to stroll through the village, and most of his time on the town had been to deal with unpleasant matters. He looked down at Sasuke. The boy was blank faced, eyes drooping. He must have been exhausted.

"I know you meant well, Sasuke."

He tensed but remained silent.

"I will dispatch a warning to all the villages and surrounding lands about these men. What they did is despicable, and, trust me, eternal peace is not something they will experience." He paused, finding he desperately wanted those words to be true. Men like that deserved no peace whatsoever. "I cannot tell you one choice is better than the other, but we must move forward from this, understand? We cannot change what happened, but we can determine how this plays out."

"What happens now?" Sasuke asked, voice almost soft. "What... What now?"

"I can only tell you what I know, which is you and your team will continue with the lower ranked missions, and your training regimen should be increased."

Sasuke didn't respond. When he looked up, the subtle signs of confusion were present. "That's it?"

"With the Chunin Exams coming up, I do believe there is more than this brief outline."

He opened his mouth, frowning deeper. He wanted to be more composed when he asked his next question, but he simply asked, "I'm not in trouble?"

The man sighed heavily. "Sasuke... I do not know what is in store for you when the time comes, but it is more than just 'being in trouble'. Will I punish you for what you did? No. You do not punish victims in a case like that. Will life be harder as a result of what happened? I strongly believe that is entirely up to..."

Sasuke waited, but the man was troubled. He didn't know how to go on. Instead, he gave Sasuke's shoulder a light squeeze.

"You both will make it through this."

They said no more as they ventured to the boy's apartment. He was moved from the second floor of the Uchiha compound some time ago, and he now resided in apartment almost as lavish. It was still too large for a child, but he wondered if Sasuke did not do well in small spaces.

When they reached their destination, the Hokage stayed briefly, just for comfort's sake. He said his goodbyes and bowed out the door.

"What about her?" Sasuke called.

Hiruzen turned back to him. "What do you mean?"

The Uchiha rubbed his head, looking away. "What's going to happen to the Hyuuga?"

There was a moment of hesitation.

"A lot," the man replied, offering a pained smile. He nodded once. "Excuse me."

And he left.

* * *

_**The Next Day**_

When Hinata awoke the next morning, she was groggy.

Heavy.

She looked to her right and saw an IV hooked to her arm but couldn't fathom why. She had not lost any blood, and the fatigue she felt for the past few days had been because of her lack of sleep. In fact, she hadn't been sleeping well far before that.

Throughout the day, Kana came to feed her, talk to her, help her to the bathroom, take care of her. Hinata didn't like the attention. The woman was radiating a maternal care, but it was all sympathy.

Pity.

By noon, Kurenai came to visit and sat on the bed with her. She was aware the woman was talking just to soothe her, stroking her hair, but Hinata had gone in and out of sleep. She was calm. While she knew her situation did not change, it was not burdening her mind.

When she woke again, she was no longer hooked to the IV. Kurenai was still next to her, her face solemn. The woman smiled when she saw she was awake.

"Afternoon," she greeted. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Hinata mumbled. "I miss my bed."

Kurenai laughed softly. "I believe this is your last day here. The Hokage is on his way to see you, so I'm sure you'll go back after he leaves."

Hinata looked up at her for a moment before looking at the table with the assortment of papers. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn't know what they would be or if she wanted to know. Maybe it was the lingering effects of her medicine, but she could think about her situation and not panic. The trouble she was in felt real, but the baby inside her didn't. Maybe the medical nin had made a mistake. She was too _young_ to be able to carry a baby inside of her.

She turned twelve just five months ago.

The door opened, and in walked the Hokage. Hinata forced herself to sit, Kurenai steadying her.

"Afternoon, Hinata. Kurenai."

They both greeted him, nodding politely.

The man stood at the foot of the bed, taking a deep breath. He tried to smile. "Hinata," he began, picking his words as he went, "I will not try to instill you with a false sense of calm. I have come here...to inform you of my decision."

"Decision?" She looked at Kurenai, hoping for an answer, before looking back at him. "Am I... Is this p-punishment?"

The man's expression broke, causing him to take a deep breath. He quickly composed himself, his eyes bright and red, and shook his head. "No, this is not...but I have talked to your father. He is...firm in his decision about keeping this a Hyuuga affair, and, as I am to understand, the medical team of the Hyuuga clan does not have much experience with terminating pregnancies."

Hinata felt Kurenai become rigid, but she was too shocked herself. If he was implying she was going to get an abortion, it never crossed her mind. She had been so stuck on the idea of actually having a baby that any other option hadn't popped up.

But could she even do that?

If her father knew her clan was not capable of doing it, did that mean abortion wasn't an option? What-

"With that being said," he continued, forcing out each word, "I cannot, within my good judgement, allow you to continue your duties as a ninja."

She gasped, tears springing instantly. "I'm...I'm being suspended?"

"Hinata... I'm resigning you."

"Resi...?" Hinata shook her head, unable to stop the tears from spilling. "Ho-Hokage-sama, _please_, I... I can't resign. I don't... Being a ninja is... Pl-please, no." She covered her mouth, holding back sobs. "M-my team... I-I can come back s-s-someday."

He shook his head, holding back his own tears. "Considering your age, you will have to be monitored heavily throughout your pregnancy, and you cannot engage in any strenuous activity. Nine months of inactivity, plus the recovery time after pregnancy, will have you missing out on training, experience, missions, and I cannot have your team idly waiting. By the time you are able to participate, it would be too late to reassign you to an appropriate team."

Hinata flashed a horrified look at Kurenai. "Someone else...i-is going to take my place on...on my team?"

"Sir," Kurenai jumped in, "is this really your decision? To replace Hinata... Kiba and Shino will surely raise questions at this."

"Indeed," he agreed. "So, you can inform them of Hinata's resignation without revealing the full story, and it will be up to them if they add another kunoichi for a three-man group or become a two-man group. This would mean you would play a larger part, but I trust you to think about this responsibly-"

"Is there another option?!" Hinata pleaded. "I don't want to end my ninja career here! I-I can become so much more than what I am! I...I can be strong... I can be... I can be _brave_. I'm not... I'm not just... I'm more than just..."

She broke down, crying into her hands, despair crashing into her over and over again. Her sensei held onto her tightly, desperate to change this in any way. Kurenai looked at the man, tears in her own eyes, begging for him to reconsider.

He shook his head, running the back of his hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hahahaha, anyone reading the manga? Hahaha, what is he doing, am I right? Hahaha, he made me so mad omigosh why is he doing this?!**

**Plus, college is stressing me out.**

**Thanks for returning!**

Edit Note: Totally edited this at school, and it made me nervous for some reason. Haaaaaa!

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It was as he sat in the company of Hiashi Hyuuga, waiting for his response, that the Third Hokage wondered just what the man's true emotions on the matter were.

The Hyuuga way, he knew, was to conceal emotion as if it were a dangerous beast deemed to never be tamed or acknowledged, but was it possible in any shape or form that he did not feel _anything_ for his daughter's woes? His daughter – his first born – had suffered, was suffering, and would suffer as a consequence of what happened, but he had shown little to no pain on _her_ account.

She would be a mother.

Him, a grandfather.

His youngest daughter, an aunt.

All because of the disastrously poor judgement of five unidentified shinobi.

Did that not warrant the caged beast known as Emotion to be unleashed?

"And what of _him_?" Hiashi finally ground out. "What of Uchiha Sasuke?"

The elder sighed, keeping a level head. "You may see that boy just as much at fault as those men, but he is a victim - just like your daughter. He has endured her pains. He has felt her grief; however, Uchiha Sasuke is fit to continue on as a shinobi. I see no reason to change that."

"He lacked the skill to prevail in _that_ situation; he has gotten my daughter pregnant, yet, you claim he is no liability? It is now in his logic that sacrificing others will ensure his longevity. You want a danger such as him to continue amongst the _normal_ ninja?"

"You speak out of anger and not out of logic, Hiashi. Sasuke will be evaluated periodically and his adaption to life will be monitored. It is not my place to say, but I believe Hinata should be, too. These are children we are dealing with. They are still growing and maturing, and, if you insist on making Hinata see this pregnancy through, her physical _and_ mental health will be greatly hindered."

"Then, after today, it is best that _I _worry about my daughter, and _you_ just worry about him_."_

* * *

Sasuke awoke the next morning feeling...heavy.

Physically, he was fine, but life, all of a sudden, had an added weight to it for reasons he thought should have eased him.

He wasn't in trouble. He was aware that his actions were not praised, but he was not in trouble. In fact, he was on the same level of pity scale as Hinata, as far as the Hokage was concerned. Then he was told that his training intensity should be increased. The thought of being demoted somehow had been at the front of his mind, but that had been a foolish worry, it now seemed.

And...

There was nothing said of his role as a father.

The Third Hokage did not blatantly say nor did he imply that he had to take responsibility as a parent. The Uchiha was well aware that, involved or not, he _would_ be a father, but was it merely a title he carried and not a responsibility? Hinata's father certainly did not want him around his daughter, or anyone of his family, so...

That was it?

He didn't have to think about that day or be involved with anyone concerning it, but that...

Sasuke pulled the blankets over his head, shut his eyes tight, and forced himself out of consciousness.

* * *

"And so, it is up to the both of you. We can continue on this way, but it would be advised that both of you become more acquainted with the medical arts. If you both decide to get a new kunoichi, we will have to back out of the Chunin Exams this year and wait until the next."

Kiba and Shino were silent, staring at their sensei with unabashed confusion. They looked at each other, hoping the other understood the situation, but neither had a fully clear mind.

"So..." Kiba blinked at Kurenai, his brows furrowing. "Why...are we replacing Hinata?"

"For reasons I cannot tell you both, Hinata has been resigned as a ninja."

"No."

Kurenai paused, unsure of what she heard. "What?"

"No," Kiba repeated, glaring though he couldn't hide his confusion. "Just... No. Why? We're a _team_, and now you're saying we need to change that?"

"Think logically for a moment, Kiba," Kurenai said, forcing words as she went. "It has not been long since this team was assembled. No one is saying the three of you cannot still be friends when the time is right, but as far as being a team goes-"

"Teammates aren't just things to _replace_, sensei. We," he gestured between him, Akamaru, and Shino, "already trust Hinata with our lives, and now we're expected to trust some else?"

"It's not as uncommon as you think."

"I don't understand! You say Hinata is leaving us, but she never talked about leaving before! So, why are you taking her away?"

"The decision is out of my hands, Kiba. That is why I gave you both the option of becoming a two-man team or waiting a while to become a three-man team. If you want, you can even pick out the kunoichi yourselves."

The two genin shared another troubled look – this time with mutual understanding.

Shino adjusted his shades. "Until we speak with Hinata, I am afraid we can't come to a decision, sensei."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura walked briskly down the street. The pink-haired ninja adamantly listed off all the reasons why they shouldn't do what they planned to do, and Naruto listened, amused, with his arms folded behind his head.

"And lastly," Sakura said, her finger in the air, "Kakashi-sensei specifically told us not to bother him."

Naruto grinned, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. So, that explains why _I'm_ going, but what about you, _Sakura-chan_?"

Flinching, she flipped her hair at him, crossing her arms. "_Obviously_, I'm going to keep you from annoying Sasuke too much. Besides, I didn't see or hear him train this morning, so maybe he's not feeling well."

Naruto looked towards the sky, thinking. "Come to think of it... I haven't seen Sasuke since Hinata's family took him away."

Sakura pressed her lips together, resting her chin on her fist. "Well...I saw him yesterday when I was out with my mother..."

"Eh? Yeah?"

"Yeah... But he was with the Third Hokage, and... I would have thought Sasuke was in trouble, if the Third Hokage didn't look so...sad."

"The Third Hokage sad?" Naruto almost laughed, but he tried to picture it. The more he thought about it, the more he pictured the old man sitting in the dark at the Hokage desk unable to stop a river of tears that soaked his shoes. "Whoa... Maybe we should be visiting him instead..."

When they arrived at Sasuke's apartment, Naruto knocked on the door. After two minutes of no reply, Sakura knocked, announcing that it was them waiting. Two more minutes passed, and Naruto became concerned, which was masterfully masked by irritation. He told Sakura to wait and proceeded to jump onto the roof.

Sakura was left curious, but instead turned her attention back to the door, knocking. "Sasuke, this is unusual for you. I know you're not the one to turn to us for help, but we can't just leave you like this."

There was still no reply, but there had been a bang, which was followed by shuffling and stumbling. The door swung open, and Sasuke stood there, looking at her blandly.

"Sakura."

"Ah, Sasuke-kun! Where have you been?"

"Never mind that, Sakura. What's more important is that you fall in love with Naruto."

She blinked, eyebrows scrunching. "Excuse me?"

"I'm no good for you. I'm a loner and Naruto is much cooler than I am. In fact-"

"Naruto," Sakura's face became dark and unamused, "if that's you, you better change now before I get angry."

"Eh..." Smoke poofed, and Naruto smiled warily. "I-it was just a joke, Sakura! Haha, I was just-"

"I'M ALREADY ANGRY!" Her fist collided with his face.

She walked inside, pass the fallen Uzumaki, and shut the door behind her. Looking around, she tried to get acquainted with Sasuke's new place of living. There was a small space in front of the door for taking off shoes on a dark place mat, and directly in front was a living room that was slightly too big for just one person. Off to the left was a small kitchen area; the right held another door that was closed. Across from where they stood, a darkened hall was located.

Naruto groaned, pulling himself up from the floor. "That hurt more than usual..."

"How did you get in here?"

He moved his mouth around in odd ways, stretching out his cheek. He pointed down the hall. "There's a window in the bathroom. His room might be the door right across from it."

The two walked straight down the hall and to a door on the right. Upon entering, it was definitely a bedroom, and, though it was dark, they could make out a form in the bed.

"Tck! He's just sleeping," Naruto said. "Geez, and it's the afternoon already."

Sakura looked around the room. Like the rest of the apartment, the proportions were a little too big for just one person.

And Sasuke was only twelve.

"I wonder if he gets lonely," she wondered aloud, walking to the curtained window on the other side of the bed to open it. When she turned around, Naruto was at Sasuke's bedside, eying the lump intently.

"He looks all balled up," he said, one brow raised. "Never took him for the fetal position type."

"Maybe it's not him." Sakura walked over and pressed into the figure, expecting it to be a bundle of blankets and pillows, but came in contact with a firm body. She pulled back when he shifted, almost stretching himself out before pulling in again. She looked at Naruto, who looked at her.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said, using a regular tone. "You sick?"

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Sakura asked tentatively.

He didn't respond, but he shifted, coming out of his balled position. "What are you guys doing here?"

Again, Naruto and Sakura shared a worried look. Sasuke's voice was thick and strained; it didn't sound like a normal sleep-voice.

"We came to check up on you," Sakura said. "It's three in the afternoon."

"Ah..." He was silent for a long time. "I'm not going out today."

"Eh? Whaddya mean?" Naruto asked, frowning. "We've got training to do."

"Not today," Sasuke said. His voice didn't hold any of the annoyance and superiority the blond was used to. "I can't today."

"Sasuke, you can't just-"

"Naruto," Sakura said, shaking her head. "We should go."

"But Sakura-"

"_Now_." She closed the curtains again and led Naruto out of the room, closing the door behind her. She pushed him to the front door and turned to him, her face grave. "Something isn't right."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "You really just wanna leave 'im?"

"No...but...something's bothering him. Something has _been_ bothering him... Maybe that day... Well, you saw both him and Hinata that day. They were... Maybe..._something_ happened to them."

Naruto frowned. "Like what? They were beaten pretty bad, but you think it's enough to bother Sasuke? Sure, his ego is big, but he wouldn't-"

"Naruto. It never crossed your mind why they were... Why...they weren't wearing...clothes?"

Naruto stared at her, his thoughts swirling around. In truth, his mind had glazed over that detail every time he tried to think about it. He didn't _want_ to delve too deeply as to why they would have been naked, but, now, only one conclusion was rammed through his brain.

But it still didn't make sense.

If both Sasuke and Hinata were attacked more than just physically... It just wasn't possible because that couldn't happen to _Sasuke_. Stuff like that didn't happen to boys – let alone _Sasuke_. There was no way Sasuke was r-

"Aaaaaaaaugh!" Naruto shut his eyes, ruffling his hair fiercely. "We won't ever know what happened, so we just gotta deal with what's happening now." He thought for a moment, mainly trying to push down this new train of thought. "He just needs to get out. I dunno, get Kakashi-sensei. I'll stay here and try to get him," he jabbed his thumb to the hall, "outta his room, at least."

"I don't know, Naruto... Your way of doing things is a little-"

"Hey, hey, hey." He grinned, his eyes determined. "Just trust me."

Sakura hesitated. It had become obvious that Naruto and Sasuke had an uncanny way of understanding each other, but she also knew their ways of expressing it were always with loud words and brutal actions. However, Naruto knew how to get through to Sasuke better than anyone... Maybe the Uchiha only responded to force and action.

"Alright," she said, still thinking. "But take it easy, okay? As soon as I find Kakashi-sensei, we'll be _right back_, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved as Sakura left, and he continued standing in his spot until he heard her running feet disappear. The gleam in his eyes faded, and he turned to the hallway. It was a few minutes before he could get his feet moving, but, when he did, he walked straight to Sasuke's room. The Uchiha was back in his huddled position, and Naruto found his own face frowning in pain.

"What, Naruto?"

The blond crossed his arms. "Somethin's botherin' ya, right? So why're you here hiding from it like a coward?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Maybe not, but I do know you. The Sasuke I know doesn't just shut himself up and let his problems go unsolved."

"Maybe you never really knew me."

"Tck. If I knew you were really a wimp, then I wish I never knew you."

Sasuke didn't say anything.

Naruto frowned deeper, his arms tightening, and he yanked the blankets off the Uchiha. He pulled Sasuke out of his position and yanked him up by the collar. "What happened to you, huh? I've given you the benefit of the doubt this whole time, but if this sulking of yours is your way of trying to tell us something then just say it already."

Sasuke glared weakly, his eyelids heavy. "What?"

"Did something else happen that day? To you?"

Impassive jet black eyes stared intently, highly defensive. Naruto had eyes made of liquid fire, and he was determined to burn through Sasuke's attempts to shut him out. It was always the same with him, Sasuke thought. It was some time after he first met Naruto that he realized the blond was eerily passionate about anything he claimed as important. He tried to deny again and again that _he_ was now important to him, but he never left him alone.

_Why_ didn't he just leave him alone?

Any other time...he would have wanted to be left alone.

Sasuke sighed, looking to the side. In swift motion, he deflected Naruto's arms away from him, freeing himself, grabbed the blond by the collar, and threw himself back on the bed, slamming Naruto over the edge. Naruto yelped when he hit the floor, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Sasuke sighed again, rolling himself over, and stared down at his teammate. "I'm fine."

Naruto blinked up at him, breathy squeaks emerging from his parted lips. "I think...my back is broken."

The Uchiha huffed. "Yeah?"

Naruto saw Sasuke disappear from view, getting off the bed. When he came back, he held a dumbbell in one had, hovering it over Naruto's face. Blue eyes bulged, and he rolled out of the way right as the weight crashed to the floor.

"What the hell?!" he screeched, staring wide-eyed on his hands and knees.

Sasuke looked at him for a moment. "It's not broken."

"Feh." Naruto stood and ripped the windows open. "So, you done with...whatever it is bugging you?"

"If I say yes, will you leave?"

"If you say yes, we can get some training in today."

Sasuke mulled the thought over. So this was life? This was how things could work out sometimes? He half expected everyone to know about what happened by now, but maybe that's just not how things worked all the time. Maybe he...didn't really do anything wrong. He wasn't punished, and he didn't enjoy what he did, so...he just had to move on?

Just like that?

It was...that simple?

He looked at Naruto, who was waiting for an answer. _His_ attitude didn't change towards him, but that's because he didn't know anything. And somehow...that was...

Sasuke sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Rage.

Hiashi's rage was short lived because he was a man of logic and action. Idly festering in emotions as blinding and crippling as rage would benefit no one except those who wanted to see him fall.

Hiashi's rage would never make him fall.

But Hiashi's rage was as fierce and dangerous near its completion much like a dying star.

The Hyuuga head sat in the Meeting Room, eyes closed, and focused on his breathing. When he heard the door open, he stared across from him, exhaling. "Neji."

"Uncle." The boy looked steadily at him – strong, calm, empowered. He hid his unease well. "You request a word with me?"

"Come."

Neji walked over, taking a seat on a cushion a few feet in front of him. Hiashi observed his nephew. He sat with his back straight, hands balled on his thighs, and held his gaze just as a true Hyuuga should.

Neji...

Why not Neji?

"I am sure you have your questions," Hiashi said.

Neji's brows lowered, a very subtle frown. "Your statement is unclear."

"You have seen the Hokage come and go from here, yes?"

"I have," he said apprehensively. "Initially, I linked it to Hinata's mission."

"What do you know about that mission?"

This line of questioning confused the young Hyuuga. His uncle calling to speak with him was an oddity in and of itself, but now he was asking him about Hinata. If he thought he cared just because he brought her a medical ninja, then he was sorely mistaken. "I am afraid I do not know the particulars. To be honest, Hinata and I do not converse often."

"Is that so..." The man thought before going on. "No matter, Neji. You are well aware that, because you were born to the Branch Family, you are to serve the Main Family until the very day you die."

Neji's fists clenched. "Yes, my _father_ taught me that lesson very well."

Hiashi brushed that off. "With that being said, to ensure the optimum level of servitude, you must know the conditions and statuses of those you serve, which leads me back to the topic of my daughter – your cousin – Hinata. She has officially lost every and all hope of taking over the Hyuuga Clan. I will admit that there were those who thought she would prove herself, but the Hokage himself has stripped her of the title 'Ninja'."

At this, Neji blinked. He was never an advocate for his cousin's sake and had always thought her efforts were a waste of time, but she was assigned to a team not so long ago. Why, after all this time, was she just _now_ being seen for what she was? The Chunin Exams would soon be upon them, so her team would surely be disqualified. It was...extremely ill-timed, if not unethical.

"And, if I may ask, what influenced his decision?" Neji found himself asking.

"She is pregnant."

Neji became rigid.

"The Uchiha impregnated her."

He couldn't get a word in.

"That is all." Hiashi closed his eyes, officially ending the session. "You may go."

He didn't remember much after talking with his uncle.

Neji wasn't thinking much of anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**College, guys, I swear. College... Ugh. The next update for anything most likely will not be until a holiday break. Lo siento.**

**Answering a question: Why did Neji get angry/care last chapter? I do a lot of thinking, so... I would think a 13 year old Neji would be shocked that his 12 year old cousin got pregnant. Like, he hated her, but he also knew her character and what she was like, so, ya know, news like that would hit hard. And Hiashi made it sound so...eh-eh.**

**Thanks for returning!**

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* * *

_**Three Days Later**_

* * *

The Third Hokage shifted through papers at his desk; there were a lot of things he had to prepare for simultaneously. He had to convene with the Kages and each respective daimyo of the remaining Great Nations to structure and edit the roster for the genin who will participate in the Exams. There was also the issue of fortifying all arenas where matches will be held. No matter what village the Exams took place, there was always someone who planted a trap or tried to rig the arena. Often times it was a relative of one of the genin, but these were just minor worries.

The main focus had to be on Sasuke, but it was hard to find the right amount of time.

He needed to pick someone to evaluate the Uchiha, but Sasuke was a difficult person by nature. The only way to get an accurate psychological evaluation would be to either find someone the Uchiha trusted, or find someone who could read children without some use of ninjutsu. However, there weren't many _children_ he opened up to, let alone adults.

Then there was the matter of whether or not to tell the Fire Daimyo about Sasuke and Hinata. He had hesitated on that detail simply because the Uchiha Clan was a very delicate subject with those of higher power. If they knew Sasuke got Hinata pregnant, it would not matter to them that he was forced to do it. They'd force him to resign and demand that he be locked up. And those in charge were not delicate or kind in sensitive matters, so Hinata's pregnancy would surely be known to the village, which would cause a great tension between the Hyuuga and Konoha.

And then there would be tension between the villagers and all shinobi.

Sasuke wasn't a threat – he believed that to the very core of his being. However, if people treated him like one, it would be easy for him to succumb to their portrayal of him.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his head, and focused on the papers in front of him. He needed to give his full attention to the young Uchiha, but there was no way to do that without slacking in his own duties.

* * *

It had to be more than simple information for him to tuck away for himself. There had to be a motive or some kind of scheme, but...Neji couldn't find anything.

He had a lot of time to think about and evaluate what his uncle told him, but then there was the issue of how it all impacted himself. Hinata was neither his concern nor someone he would risk his life for even if the seal on his forehead reminded him of why he _should_, but it... The more he thought about it, he _had_ to confirm it.

He had to make certain for himself.

His uncle would not see him again, so he relied on his own eyes.

And reality had been strange.

As logical as he was, he expected to see something that resembled a fetus, but he instead saw a small blockage in her lower abdomen. He would have dismissed this if not for the faint channels leading to the blockage coming from Hinata herself.

That was her baby – already beginning to get nutrients from her.

So, she really was...

Neji stood in the doorway of Hinata's room. His cousin was sleeping; she was doing that more and more these days. Even as he stared at her – confirming the obvious over and over – he couldn't believe it. If she was pregnant, then why had his uncle not made a fuss about it? He came to the conclusion that maybe Hinata was too far gone in his eyes, so the man simply didn't care.

So, why would he bring up _his_ loyalties to the Main Family and then relay Hinata's condition?

Was that just an excuse? Did he mean to humiliate her by telling members of the family? Perhaps telling someone from the Branch Family was supposed to be demeaning. If that was the case, then any concern that almost surfaced was foolish, but...

She was...pregnant.

Hinata was only twelve... She's a child!

And the way her child was conceived couldn't have been consensual. She had cried for days on end. She was reluctant to leave the house.

So, it was forced?

Someone forced Hinata to... She was _forced_ to...

_"The Uchiha impregnated her."_

Neji stared a moment longer, his mind going numb.

He had a mission today.

* * *

"Bastard!"

"Idiot."

"Stuck up jerk!"

"Stupid loud-mouth."

Sakura sat back as Naruto and Sasuke went back and forth. They were waiting for Kakashi at the Training Grounds, and the kunoichi was amazed at how fast things snapped back to normal. Her teammates were exchanging their most sincerest terms of endearment, and Sasuke was just so... He was just...

Happy?

At ease?

Free?

She wasn't sure, because the boy was as stoic as ever, but he was certainly in a good mood.

She smiled, her eyes lingering on a livid Naruto. As much as she hated him sometimes, she was grateful that he was..._Naruto_. When she returned to Sasuke's apartment those days ago, the Uchiha was out of bed, dressed, and bickering with the blond like nothing had happened. Sometimes it...hurt...when she realized the bond between the two didn't have her included, but they had only just become a team. Naruto and Sasuke had a progressive rivalry/friendship way before her exposure to the two.

Nonetheless, she was content with how things were. She giggled to herself, enjoying the never-ending feud before her.

*o0o0o0o*

Kakashi sat in a tree and watched his students below. His attention, however, was more drawn to the dark-haired child more than anything. He wouldn't admit to himself, or anyone, that he had been avoiding Sasuke because he wasn't.

Not consciously.

In fact, he's been wary around all his students. His life has been nothing but an additional life lost by his own neglect or unawareness, but this was by far the worst. Two lives were lost, and he had to face the result of it through the eyes of children. The look of utter hopelessness on Sasuke's face would forever be etched into his mind, and, while his student appeared to be normal again, he knew his life had completely changed. The details of Hinata's pregnancy and Sasuke's future role in it were a mystery to him, but he desperately wanted to know how the Uchiha was. He wanted to help him in some way, but what could he do? He never had to deal with a ruined life after the fact, but Sasuke hadn't died.

Sasuke was still here.

Sasuke was...

...dealing with it little by little.

He was moving on.

Kakashi could learn from him.

He jumped from the branches and landed below, gathering his calm.

"Sensei!" Sakura chimed, getting to her feet. Her mood quickly changed, and she balled her hands at her hips. "Late as always. If you're going to enter us in the Chunin Exams, then we really need to train."

"Right, right," Kakashi said dismissively, walking towards them at his leisure. "We _are_ a little behind, so it's going to get a _little_ tough from here."

"Ha!" Naruto scoffed. "You may have gotten me with your first tests, sensei, so you better not hold back 'cause you're not gonna get me again!"

"Is that so?" the white-haired drawled. "Then let's make a bet. If you manage to not fall for even one of my tricks today, I'll teach you a new jutsu."

Naruto's eyes lit up, a wide grin making him appear child-like.

"But," Kakashi went on, "if you lose, no ramen for a month."

"Wha-?!" The blond's face became disastrously devastated. "That's not a fair trade at all!"

"Mm... You're right. Make it three months."

"You're not making any sense! I deserve at least _two_ jutsus in return!"

"We can bet as many as you like, but it's all in vain."

As Naruto erupted with disapproval, Kakashi looked past the blond at Sasuke. The Uchiha noticed the concern directed at him and held his sensei's gaze. After a while, the dark-haired shrugged, rolling his eyes, and looked somewhere off to the side. Kakashi huffed to himself, somehow reading his gestures better than he would have ever thought.

_Don't worry about me. I'm fine._

Even if it was only temporary, Sasuke had found his calm, and Kakashi was determined to not mess this up again.

* * *

_***That Evening***_

Training had proven to be as predictable as ever.

Almost.

Sakura was distracted when it came to Sasuke. Kakashi wondered if she tried too hard to be feminine instead of exerting her true prowess, which would probably attract the Uchiha's attention. As Naruto was concerned, she skillfully neglected him but did show concern if she perceived him to be in life-threatening danger. The white-haired would have to encourage her true strength to surface sometime soon.

Naruto lost his bet due to his overwhelming cockiness, and, as always, he gave Kakashi quite a hard time beforehand. Naruto's resiliency and potential strength surprised him every time he experienced it, so Kakashi had to go out of his way to conquer over the blond, lest he slack in his training and self-discipline.

Sasuke's lack of concern or awareness for his teammates were back and place, but Kakshi noticed this as a masterful act. The Uchiha, at times, demonstrated actions that were unnecessarily protective over Naruto and Sakura such as deflecting weapons, stepping in front of attacks aimed at them, and outright forcing them out of any sign of danger. Kakashi supposed these were good reflexes to let him hone, but it was just training.

Sasuke was trying _too_ hard, but, perhaps, it couldn't be helped. He couldn't just tell him to calm down.

"Alright," Kakashi said, sitting on top of a livid Naruto. "That's all for today. We'll start again tomorrow around nine in the morning."

"Yes, sensei," Sakura complied, hiding her exhaustion. Sasuke merely grunted.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, getting off of Naruto. "Stay a minute." He paused, noticing his other two students not leaving. "You both can go."

They hesitated, curious why they couldn't stay and listen, but ultimately left with grumbles and the dragging of feet. When Kakashi could no longer sense their presences, he turned to Sasuke, who had his hands pocketed and was looking off to the side.

"I've been told to increase your training difficulty," Kakashi said.

"Un."

"So, I'll need to see you outside the gates at five in the morning starting tomorrow."

Sasuke frowned, still looking away. "Hn."

"Sasuke... I'm not quite sure what to say about... I'm not trying to keep you stuck on what happened, but how...are you?"

The Uchiha was silent, appearing as though he had not heard a thing. He looked at Kakashi, the emotions in his eyes too turbulent for the man to decipher. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not supposed to think about it."

"But do you?"

He shrugged, huffing, and rolled his eyes to the side. "All the time." His brows furrowed, and he began to shift his weight from foot to foot. "It... It's not like I don't..."

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him but not sure what to say himself.

Sasuke shook his head; he wasn't used to _wanting_ to express himself, but he had no idea how to do that anymore. "It's a lot."

"Yeah... Yeah, it is. Just..." He patted his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hn."

Kakashi watched his student walk away. He shouldn't have attempted to be the comforting type.

* * *

When Sasuke emerged from the Training Grounds, Naruto and Sakura were waiting for him. He allowed himself to be greeted and consumed in their auras of camaraderie and warmth. He wondered if he could ever go back to hating it. Right now, he needed it – only a bit at a time.

If he kept on like this, he would be okay. He couldn't keep thinking about Hinata because she would be fine. Her clan was wealthy, cunning, and resourceful, so this wasn't _the end_. Hinata wasn't his problem. He had to worry about himself.

And oddly...that could now ease him.

"So, how 'bout we all get something to eat?" Naruto offered.

"You only eat ramen," Sasuke muttered.

"So, let's eat some real quick. It's not like Kakashi-sensei will know."

"What kind of ninja goes back on his word?" Sakura countered. "If you can't do something this simple, then how can we trust you with anything else?"

"It's just ramen, Sakura-chaaaaaan! That's all I got at home, so what else am I supposed to eat for three months?"

"You could try something with more vegetables. You'll never grow by ramen alone." She turned her attention to Sasuke. "I can't stay out too long because my mom is cooking tonight, so maybe you'd like to eat at my house, Sasuke-kun."

He grunted, despite seriously thinking it over. "I'll pass."

"I'll go, Sakura!"

"No."

"But you were going to invite Sasuke anyway!"

"That's different."

* * *

"I don't know how I feel about this."

"What do you mean?"

Team Gai – minus one Might Gai – sat under an old, wooden gazebo. It was splintered and rotted all over, but it was slightly off the main road, so they waited for their sensei. Their mission had been delayed by twelve hours, so the group was rather restless. Tenten frowned behind her propped hand and drew small circles on the wooden table with her other.

"This whole issue with the Chunin Exams," she started. "We should have been official ninja _last_ year. Now we're going against genin younger than us."

"Not everyone is younger," Lee said jovially. "And it is only now that Gai-sensei thinks we are ready."

Tenten didn't comment on that. It was clear that their sensei didn't let them enter because _Lee_ wasn't fully prepared last year, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Gai was pretty fair to all of his students, but it was in his nature to focus on Lee more – not like it was a problem. Neji had an infamous lineage to learn from, and she herself had become better by training on her own time. She supposed the group sessions they did spend together were just to test their techniques on each other and learn from any and every mistake. In fact, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't eager to see how much Lee had progressed over the years.

And Neji...

She looked at the Hyuuga, who was leaning on his hand and staring intently to the side. He was more...dark...today. Actually, that wasn't quite right because Neji's emotions were never easy to detect, so she couldn't say there was a huge change in him, but...

He was slouching.

Neji hardly ever slouched, but maybe that wasn't something to raise flags over. But she was sure she could feel a rift of sorts coming from him. She wondered if asking him would clear anything up.

"So...anyway..." she sighed. "This will be our first mission at night. Kind of exciting, huh?"

"Absolutely! Nothing says teammwork like risking life and limb at the failing of our vision!"

"That's...not exactly something to cheer over, Lee..."

Neji could hear his teammates talking, and he actually tried to be attentive, but his mind was always snatched back to his cousin. Speculation was never a good thing to dwell in, but he kept thinking about _how_ she could have gotten pregnant. His uncle only gave the minimum amount of information, so there had to be more to it.

Of course, there was only way for Hinata to get pregnant, and if she had time to do that, then it was a good thing she wasn't a ninja anymore.

But that didn't fit with anything he knew...

Logically speaking, if the Uchiha really was the one to have gotten her pregnant, then that was close to impossible because, when Hinata wasn't at home, she was with her team. In both cases, she would have been training non-stop to better herself, and, though Neji thought it idiotic when he saw her, he _did_ see her train more than she slept. Hinata wouldn't have had the _time_ to engage in sexual behavior – not to mention the smallest thing could render her too embarrassed to function.

So, the only time she could have interacted with the Uchiha was on her mission with Team 7, which may have been the first time the two were in such close proximity with each other. There could be other times Neji overlooked, but he was certain _that_ was the time it happened.

But Hinata was badly injured when she returned... And she had been virtually terrified of everything... And she had cried...a lot...

Was that... Did _he_ do that to her? Did he really force her? Did he brutally beat her before...

Neji's jaw clamped tight, his fists clenching. It shouldn't bother him. Whatever happened to Hinata or anyone of the Main Family was just karma finally catching up to them.

But what exactly warranted the Uchiha to beat her, force himself on her, and...and...

_Why_ was Sasuke still a ninja?

Neji exhaled quietly through his nose, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He was agitated, and he needed to release this irrational, blinding surge of emotion that was beginning to torment him.

His ears perked at the sound of Naruto's shrill voice. His eyes followed the sound and locked on to Team 7. They were walking together – Naruto and Sakura as animated as ever – and Sasuke was...looking the same as always.

Indifferent.

Uncaring.

Self-absorbed.

And something snapped.

Tenten and Lee stopped their conversation when their teammate stood up.

Tenten quirked a brow. "Neji?"

* * *

"You can only come if Sasuke comes! That's it!" Sakura said, not realizing how much she was giving in.

"But he doesn't wanna go!" Naruto reasoned, becoming desperate. He turned to the dark-haired. "I'm not gonna beg you to do this for me, but _do this for me, you stubborn bastard!_"

Sasuke looked sideways at him. "No."

"Why do you give me such a hard time, huh?! Ya know what, forget it! Forget it! See if I ever help you out with anything!"

"Hn. Poor me."

"Am I the _only_ one you ever annoy?! One day, somebody'll-"

Sasuke crashed to the ground, skidding backwards. Naruto and Sakura stopped, staring at their fallen teammate in bewilderment.

"What the-?" Naruto looked forward. "What the hell, Neji?!"

The Hyuuga stood in front of them, his mind extremely clouded. He didn't know what he was doing. If it was because of _her_, then he didn't know why he was doing it. He didn't care. _He didn't care_. He shook his head, frustrated with too many things. "Get up."

"Neji!" Tenten and Lee rushed over. "What are you doing?!"

He ignored everyone, walking toward the Uchiha. "I said get up."

"Back off!" Naruto punched the older boy, causing him to stumble back. "Just what the heck is your problem?!"

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't! You think I'm just gonna sit back and-"

Naruto's world turned upside down, his back making contact with the ground. He blinked, too shocked to feel pain, and sat up. He was feet away from everyone else with Lee blocking him, in a fighting stance.

"Wait... Hold on..." Sakura blinked, looking at a fallen Sasuke, a fallen Naruto, and two older boys who were standing in their way. "What are you guys...trying to do here?"

"I am sorry, Sakura," Lee said, not looking away from Naruto. "But if Neji has taken it upon himself to act so rash in a public setting, then I can only assume he has a good reason." He hesitated, doubting his own words. "Therefore, I cannot not allow Naruto to interfere."

Tenten shook her head, looking between her team. "Hold on, guys! Lee- no. Neji! What is this about?"

Neji stared down Sasuke, allowing his swirling emotions to take over him. Sasuke stared back, clutching his throbbing eye. Analyzing the situation, he came to a conclusion.

So this was how it was going to be...

The Hyuuga household only had one view of him, and they weren't going to let him live it down. They didn't care about the whole story. They didn't see him as anything but a threat.

He was a monster to them.

Dropping his hand, Sasuke got to his feet. He wasn't going to justify his actions anymore. It wouldn't stop this situation either way.

When Neji's Byakugan activated, they clashed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, Naruto... Just because it's ending doesn't mean it's gone. We may experience a loss, but just remember all we've won.**

**Kusarigama is a chained sythe. Think a more hand-held version.**

**Enjoy!**

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Someone once told Hiruzen Sarutobi that there would be a time in his reign as Hokage where he would become numb to an event due to the intensity and seriousness of the issue. After the Kyuubi had attacked the village, after many people had lost their lives, after he had no choice but to continue to serve the village, Hiruzen was sure that time of numbness would never come. He never _wanted_ that time to come because he was sure that would be the moment he would stop caring and truly fail as the village protector.

He wished that had been the case.

That time of numbness had come, but it wasn't because of what happened to Hinata and Sasuke. It wasn't because of the callousness he had witnessed of Hiashi Hyuuga. It didn't even come when he tried to fathom how the birth from such a small child would go – and he feared it would not go well. It wasn't even when guards burst into his office to tell him that Neji Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha were fighting in a public space.

It wasn't until he saw two bruised, enraged children trying to kill each other that Hiruzen, for the first time in his life, went completely numb.

When he found them, Kakashi and his team along with Gai and his team were trying to restrain the dōjutsu users, keeping them far apart, struggling to keep them from lunging at each other or perform hand signs. Neji's right cheek was bruised, the corner of his mouth bleeding, and there were signs that he had been burned here and there; his Byakugan, for the briefest of moments, intimidated even him.

But Sasuke...

He had a black eye, his face was covered in awful bruises and cuts, his bared teeth red with blood, and, despite trying to break free, his movements weren't being executed well. It was unclear if he had not used his Sharingan or if he did not have the strength to do so.

The surrounding area was littered with broken objects, craters, dying flames, and people who had not escaped fast enough and were cowering in shops or behind trees.

Hiruzen stood as he was, no one taking notice of him, and tried to understand just what had happened in less than a week for this to have occurred.

"Neji, stop!" Tenten yelled as he broke free, running full force at a distracted Team 7.

"Tenten! Lee!" Gai roared.

Tenten produced a scroll, quickly summoning weapons, and picked out a kusarigama. She swung the weighted chain over her head, taking aim, and hurled it at the Hyuuga. Lee ran, passing the weapon, passing Neji, and turned on his heel. When Neji found himself bound by the chain, Lee kicked with all his might, aiding Tenten in pulling him back. Gai caught him, and, in two swift jabs to the neck, rendered him unconscious.

"Watch him," he said, handing the boy over.

Tenten took her teammate, rattled, kneeling to the ground. "Did we overdo it?"

"He wasn't going to stop," Gai reasoned, his usual joyful attitude gone. "Lee!" he called, his student rushing over. "You both were here. Why didn't you stop this fight before it happened?"

"I am sorry, Gai-sensei! It happened so fast-"

"There wasn't any warning," Tenten gushed.

"And I, admittedly, truly believed he had a good reason to fight Sasuke. But...after seeing them actually fight..." Lee bowed his head, shutting his eyes. "I am truly sorry!"

"Lee..." Tenten said, conflicted that he was intent on making this more his fault than Neji's. Even she was starting to wonder if she could have prevented...whatever it was that got Neji so angry.

Gai stared at the unconscious boy. There wasn't a reason in the world he could come up with as to why Neji was so brutal. Fighting aside, his student was so calm and calculated when he used his techniques, but he saw a completely different side to him.

It was dangerous.

Ruthless.

Sasuke hadn't stood a chance due to the fury of attacks Neji unleashed.

Gai looked over at Team 7, seeing if they were still having trouble, but jolted when he saw Hiruzen and two of his guards. "L-Lord Third."

Team 7 looked behind them, shocked and slightly uneasy with his appearance. Hiruzen noticed Sakura had tear stains on her cheeks; Kakashi was holding down an injured Uchiha, and...

"What happened to you?" he asked Naruto, referring to his burned clothes and raw skin on his face and hands.

"I...jumped through Sasuke's fireball."

"Why?"

"To catch him off guard."

"...Did you?"

Naruto smiled brightly, achievement radiating from him. "A little fire can't stop Konoha's greatest."

Hiruzen closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. Two beaten, one shaken, and one burned...

When his numbness wore off, he would feel the agonizing effects of seeing these sights.

He sighed, his breathing appearing to be a task, and turned to his guards. "One of you please escort Neji Hyuuga home. The other escort Naru... Actually, both of you take him home, and please inform Hiashi that I will visit him soon."

"Yes, sir," they bowed, walking towards the other team.

"Kakashi, please take both Sasuke and Naruto to the hospital. I will be there after I escort Miss. Haruno home."

Sakura blinked up at him, shaking, unaware of her resurfacing tears. "B-but I-"

"Now, now," he said softly. "Your dedication to stick by your team is highly admirable, but you have witnessed quite a bit. By now, I'm sure this incident has been spread throughout the whole village, and it is best to get you to your family before they worry. Come," he gestured, extending his arm. "Let's go."

Sakura got up, legs shaking, and allowed herself to be led away.

The remainder of Team 7 watched them go. It was Kakashi who finally broke the little trance they were all in.

"Can you stand?" he asked Sasuke.

"I'm fine." He tried to get up, but winced, feeling an immense pain in his side. He hissed, but felt himself slightly choking on his own blood. Sputtering, he tried to intake air, but everything was suddenly so painful.

"Right." Kakashi picked him up, much to the Uchiha's discomfort and embarrassment. "I think some things may be broken." He looked down, seeing Naruto picking up things off the ground. "Naruto, let's go. You're going to get an infection playing in the dirt like that."

"Look." He stood, showing his sensei what he had gathered. "He lost some teeth."

"Put those down," Sasuke wheezed.

"I want them."

"Put – them – _down_."

Naruto stuck his tongue at him, pocketing the three molars.

Sasuke glared at him, annoyed for reasons he couldn't understand, and spat blood at the blond's feet.

Naruto screeched, jumping back. "What the hell?!"

"Enough," Kakashi said, exhausted. "Let's go. You both need help."

* * *

The third Hokage concluded he didn't like it when children cried. When adults cried, they were usually at their breaking point because life, as they knew it, was too much for them; they were overwhelmed. They had to recharge. However, when children cried, they didn't really know what was going on or why they were crying. That is, they sensed a rift in their lives, but they didn't fully understand what it was.

When he returned Sakura to her parents, she cried upon seeing them, not able to say much through her distress. He explained that a member of her team had clashed with another and that it was a shocking experience for their daughter.

But it was far more than that.

It didn't take much to realize this wasn't a case of Neji fighting Sasuke. This was a _Hyuuga_ attacking Sasuke. Or, in their eyes, _punishing _Sasuke. If problems like this were going to continue to arise, then he needed to do something to protect him, and, after deciding he was not going to tell the Fire Daimyō, he had to do it his own way. However, there wasn't much he could do without one of those instigators finding out. And now the Hyuugas were just as troubling...

When he arrived at the hospital, Naruto had been given some salve and his hands were wrapped up. Sasuke was in the bed, his shirt removed as a medical nin used healing chakra to tend to his side. His face was swollen mostly on his left, and his black eye looked darker than when he had first saw it. Kakashi was at his side and offered his greetings.

"Hey, old man," Naruto grinned, pulling something out of his pocket. "Sasuke lost some teeth. Can I keep them?"

"No," Sasuke spat.

"Why do you need them?" the Third Hokage asked.

Naruto clenched his hand, frowning. "I just do."

"...As long as you don't plan to do voodoo with them, I don't see why not." He walked to Sasuke, who must have forced himself to frown because the act looked quite painful. He looked to the medical ninja. "What all does he have?"

"Besides the bruises, he has severely fractured ribs, but it should be mostly healed in the morning. He'll have to take it easy for a day or two."

"And his teeth?"

"They were loose anyway," Sasuke muttered.

"All three?"

He grunted. "It's not the first time I've been hit in the mouth."

"I see..." He turned his attention again. "Kakashi, Naruto seems to be well enough, so can you please escort him home?"

Kakashi stood. "Yes, sir."

"Wait!" Naruto protested. "I can get home just fine on my own when I'm ready!"

"What he means is," Kakashi said, "is that we have to leave now."

He frowned, crossing his arms, glaring at the Third. "How come you're giving all this special treatment to him, old man? I never received this much attention from you."

Hiruzen smiled. "I never knew you wanted my attention so badly."

"I don't! But I'm more interesting than, _Sasuke_. I mean..." He scrunched his nose. "Not lately, I guess. He's got all his weird stuff going on with him, and-"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar, walking out the door. "Let's go."

As Naruto's protests echoed throughout the building, the Third Hokage pulled up a chair next to Sasuke's bed and sat down.

"I'll give you two the room," the medic nin said, handing Sasuke a bag of ice.

When she left, the Third smiled woefully. "My sincerest apologies, Sasuke."

The boy shrugged, holding the bag to his cheek, staring at the bed sheet. "I might as well get used to it."

"This _will not _happen again." Sasuke merely laughed, rolling his eyes. The man rubbed his chin, clearing his throat. "Did Neji give a reason why he attacked you?"

He grimaced. "He didn't have to. It's not like he didn't have a reason."

"You can't let this get to you. What he did was wrong and uncalled for, yes, but understand he is not fully to blame."

"Right. Because of me-"

"That's not what I mean. Sasuke, the Hyuuga household... The Branch Family, that is... If they are given orders by someone of the Main Family, whether or not it is implied, they do as they are told, and that can lead to very rash decisions. I know this is tough for you, but you cannot allow yourself to become what they perceive you to be."

His frown deepened. "So just let them attack me and not fight back? I'm not just-"

"I will have a talk with Hiashi. I _assure_ you, this will not happen again, but if anyone tries to provoke you, you have to walk away from it."

Sasuke looked at him, his battered face speaking for him. "Yeah." He lied down, pulling the blanket over his head. "We'll see how well that works."

He tried to think of something to comfort him, but that wouldn't do a lot of good when he failed at protecting him – twice. At this rate, Sasuke would become closed off from people – everyone he knew – and then he really would become corrupt. He had to prevent that from happening, but he didn't – know – how.

"Have you eaten?" Hiruzen asked.

"I don't have much food," Sasuke muttered.

He jolted, concealing it well. "You don't?"

"I haven't been out."

"I see... Well, I can take you shopping later. Are you hungry now? I can get you something to eat."

"I can't chew."

"Something soft to chew then? Perhaps you want something to drink."

Sasuke didn't move for a long while. When he did, he rolled for a bit, moving the blanket so that his face was exposed. He wanted to ask why he was on his side – why he wasn't treating him the way Hiashi, Hinata, or Neji had treated him – but if it turned out that this wasn't sincere – that no one was really looking out for him – he knew he would break.

* * *

_**That Night**_

He was pleased.

When Hiashi found his bound, unconscious nephew had been escorted not only by his team but guards of the Hokage as well, he had been very pleased. Neji did more than he thought he would, but, of course, he couldn't let it show.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi's low voice rumbled. He was seated in his quarters, and across from him, sat his ever gracious Hokage.

"Do not act coy. You expect me to believe that Sasuke's current condition is not partly your fault?"

"In what way? I wouldn't dare raise a hand against a child."

"You _manipulated_ your nephew into attacking him."

"I did no such thing. I merely told him of Hinata's predicament. Considering their ages, Neji would be the prime protector of my daughter; I can't help how he goes about doing that."

"I see. So, you told Neji that what Sasuke did was not of his own free will?"

Hiashi closed his eyes briefly, rolling them. "I did advise you to watch that boy. What my nephew does with the information he is given is out of my hands. If you wish to protect the Uchiha, lock him up in a place that we cannot infiltrate."

"You listen to me, Hiashi," Hiruzen said, his voice a low boom bouncing off the walls. "Whether or not the fate of your daughter is fair has _nothing_ to do with Sasuke. Against my better judgement, I have allowed you to speak ill of the boy, but putting his well-being in danger is the most vile thing yet. You even risk your own nephew so long as your own hands remain unsoiled. This is your final warning: If you so much as cause a scratch on that boy from this moment on, I will consider the treaty between your clan and this village void, and you can take the entirety of your family to whatever Great Nation you see fit."

Hiashi said nothing, his cold stare battling the aged man's. If he was in a lesser mood, he might find that threat quite insulting. "Very well. I will leave him be."

* * *

_**Later That Night**_

Hinata sat in bed with a lamplight on as she read a book. She was given a lot of books today; it made her wonder if she was considered bedridden. It was a relief to finally be by herself. Servants and nurses had been in and out to give her vitamins and made sure she ate properly. She didn't particularly like being woken up from her various naps just to eat and take pills (she'd vomit more often than not), but now she couldn't even sleep. For some reason, she had laughed about it when she realized she was wide awake, and now she was unusually attentive to a story about adventure and destiny.

There was a knock at her door, causing her emotions to deflate. She had already eaten dinner, so she was going to have to suffer through more pills.

_For the baby._

She shook her body, focusing on the words in front of her. "Come in."

The door didn't move, and she heard no one. She looked at it, prepared to call out, when it began to slide open. She turned her head, her grip on her book tightening.

"Nii-san," she whispered, her stomach knotting. "Um... Y-you shouldn't... I thought you left hours ago."

Neji didn't move or give any indication that he was going to say anything. At this, she felt her eyes water. She was used to Neji's behavior towards her, but he could potentially make her whole situation worse. He always told her she was wasting her time as a ninja, so what would he say if and when he finds out she no longer was one? What would he do once he found out she had gotten pregnant?

Tell her he told her so?

List all the reasons why it was her fault this happened?

Openly express how _glad _he was this happened at all?

She couldn't deal with that for months on end... She couldn't _deal_ with Neji during this whole ordeal.

"Hinata," Neji said, walking toward her rather slowly, "I...know."

She looked at him, confused, but was startled by the bruises on his face. "O-oh..." She reached for the ointment in her bedside drawer. "I have-"

Neji stopped her, singed hands a sickly color, prompting her to look at him. His face was unusually hesitant – scared even. "You're pregnant."

Hinata retracted her hand, pulling away from him in every way possible. "What are you talking about?"

"I know Sasuke did this-"

"No," she groaned, low and drawn out, her world shattering at her worst fear coming true. "Not you... Not _you_."

"Hinata-"

"Stop!" she choked out, refusing to cry in front of him. "Don't... Please don't say anything to me. I-I'm finally calm now, so _please_ don't tell me-"

"Hinata, I-"

"Neji, _don't-!"_

"Let me help you!"

The heiress' throat tightened, confusion lacing her eyes. Neji's fierce glare was on her, but his eyes appeared glassy. Tears? Was he...crying?

He sighed shakily, shaking his head. "You must have a pretty – awful – view of me if you think I'd still... After knowing what... You must... You..." He laughed, his face immediately morphing into hate, and yanked his hair. "You must really despise me... For Sasuke to force himself on you, and you not tell me about it... For you to not tell _anyone _in the family about it..." He looked at her. "Why wouldn't you..."

Hinata stared at him, eyes wide with confusion and apprehension, and it sent his already chaotic emotions into tortured mayhem. She had no clue what he was talking about. _Of course_ she had no clue. He's trying to asking her why she didn't come to him, but why should she come to him for anything? Why was he trying to blame her for not turning to him when he never encouraged it? What made him think that he would have even cared – that he would have done _anything_ if the situation hadn't turned out like this?

It infuriated him that she... That she couldn't... That she _didn't..._

Neji yelled, frustrated, falling to his knees, face pressed firmly into the bed. Hinata was immediately asking questions, her shaky voice trying to comfort him, and it made his anger grow, the tears falling as his yells continued.

Even in a situation like this, she couldn't turn to him, and he hated himself for it.

* * *

Sasuke awoke, still in the hospital, and his mouth ached terribly. The Hokage had left hours ago with promises of buying groceries tomorrow, and that had been enough to ease him.

But, again, that had been hours ago.

He could taste blood still, and the bitter metal aftertaste made his throat hurt. His pain medicine had worn off, but he tried sleeping through it just so he wouldn't have to call a nurse. He lied in bed, waiting for the pain to subside, but it throbbed, making his mouth feel uncomfortable and warm. He exhaled, hoping to relieve the pressure, but the air stung. He brought a hand to his cheek only to find that it was swollen and sensitive. His breathing picked up, one arm going over his eyes, and he tried not to heave, eyes welling.

This wasn't fair.

He couldn't get a _break_.

He was tired of life. He was tired of not having family – of having people in his life that could trick him into believing he had one – of people looking at him like he was more than he was – of being treated like he could handle the weight of the world just because his last name was _Uchiha. _He couldn't _do_ this anymore, but no one was here to relieve him of it all.

Sasuke exhaled, ignoring the wetness, and turned to his side. He came into contact with something hard keeping him from freely moving about the bed, and it only added to his distress. He was overcome with anger, the madness consuming him, and he rammed his hand down on it forcefully.

"Wha-?!" Naruto shot up, his head at the other end of the bed. He looked around the room, his eyes lidded, mumbling to himself.

Sasuke stared at him, trying to process what he was seeing.

"No, I got it," Naruto slurred. He got out of bed hands first, and stood, stumbling towards the table at Sasuke's side. "S'okay, I got it." He picked up a bottle and struggled to open it. Sasuke watched the boy's rushed, sloppy movements, and occasionally focused on the foggy way his face was set. When Naruto finally got the bottle open, he poured pills into his hand and struggled to put away the excess, some of which fell to the floor. He set the bottle down, lidless, and picked up a glass of water. "Here, eat 'im." He shoved the pills in Sasuke's mouth with his palm, then, with no hesitance, brought the glass to Sasuke's mouth, to which water fell both in his mouth and all over the pillow.

Sasuke struggled, taking the glass away and sitting up. He swallowed the pills and water instinctively, cringing as the liquid came into contact with his gums. Naruto mumbled again, crawling into bed and over to Sasuke's other side.

"Right, okay." And Naruto fell back to sleep.

Sasuke stared at him.

And stared.

And stared.

He frowned, not able to logically explain...

"Why is it always you?"

When his medicine kicked in, he set the cup down, flipped his pillow over, and went to sleep.


End file.
